COMMERCIAL DESCRIPTION“To kick off this series of intense hoppy beers, we wanted to go big. Imported New Zealand Nelson Sauvin hops provide a vibrant tropical aroma that raises eyebrows and expectations. Aggressive amounts of Warrior and Ahtanum hops produce an assertive bitterness that stands out against a firm malt backbone. Balanced even at 90 IBUs, Big Barrel leaves a considerable first impression that serves as a prelude of things to come.”
According to a brewery rep, the beer will be distributed throughout Southern California and they’re planning on doing 1,000 cases of 22’s.
Specs:
Color 15.4 SRM
ALC 9.0%
IBU 90
PLATO 20

On tap at the Old Columbia brewpub. Has a sweet honey aroma, also some butterscotch to the scent. Light amber with a thin white head. The flavor has delicious hop citrus grapefruit and mango. This beer has an intense malt flavor. A very classic IPA-like palate. It’s good beer but it’s not great.

UPDATED: DEC 6, 2009 Rerate; much better, can’t understate that. This time from a bottle. A good balance in this one, with a good hop profile. Citrus, fruit and earthy.
On tap at Carlsbad location. Color was a ruddy amber with a compact creamy head. Aroma was weird; wood chips, caramel, must and BO. Flavor was also pretty weird; and actually it was pretty terrible initially. It did get better, but really weak for the style.

Ultra fresh bomber. Pours a deep orange-amber color with a ever so slight haze. A thick, spongy head of cream colored froth is excellently retained, settling at a snail’s pace to a dense, foamy ring, and leaving rock hard, pronounced sheets of lacing on the glass. The nose booms with juicy hop notes, primarily focusing on grapefruit, mango, and honeydew melon. Malts are centered in slightly dried, moderately toasted toffee, hinting also at freshly baked white bread crust and some clean alcohol notes. Flavors are similarly structured, though not quite as well defined. Some of the tropical fruit notes drop out a bit, replaced by less exotic pine resin, while semi-sweet toffee and toasty bread keep things from getting overly bitter. The palate is big and moderately carbonated, but it refrains from getting overly sticky. There’s a little alcohol warmth, but it is kept well in check. It actually drinks pretty easily for a double IPA. Very solid stuff. Clearly in the California style, which is right up my alley.

On tap at Karl Strauss in Universal Studios LA. Pours a mostly clear, darker orange body with a two-finger width, fluffy, off-white head that dissipates slowly and leaves a moderate amount of lacing. Aroma of woody earth and heavy citrus. More muted than the IPA, but the flavor is better. Sweet, slightly resiny, deeper earthy hops with a dry, piney finish. Lingers with a moderate sweet citrus. Overall, a standard DIPA with some nice balancing caramels.

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